Christmas tree holder



Feb. 10, 1953 sso I 2,628,049

CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER Filed March 22, 1947 INVENTOR KARL JOHAN HANSSON ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 10, 1953 Karl: Johan Hansson, Satrabrunn; Sweden, as-

signor to Nils- Berggren, Herman Fernstrom, and Gpstav Ostlund, all of. Vasteras, Sweden, and Simon. J ansson, Malling, Sweden Application March-22, 1947, Serial'No. 736,550 In SwedenDccembcr 81,1945

Section .LPuhlic Law 690; August 8;, 1946' Patent expires December 31; 1965 5 Claim$- (Cl. 248-44) The present invention relates to a Christmas tree holder comprising a receptacle, preferably of" a conical shape, and a frame having rods made; for instance, of spring steel. The upper free endsof the rods enter openings provided in the receptacle, which is displaceable in a vertical direction relative to the frame so as to force said free ends inwardly toward the center of the receptacle upon a downward movement of the latter. When the receptacle is displaced downward'l'y, the rods permita quick and safe locking of the tree placed in the receptacle. The object of' the invention is. to improve a Christmas tree holder of said type bypermitting the Christmas tree not only" to be rapidly secured but also to be adjusted in its vertical position at the same time.

Further objects and advantages of the-invention willbe apparent from the following description considered in connection with the accompan'ying' drawing, which forms" a part of this specification, and of'which The figure. is a part sectional view of a Christmas'tree holder accordance with the" invention.

A. water receptacle a; into which the trunk of the tree is adapted to be thrust, is of a rounded configurationtapering downwardly. The bottom of the receptacle consists. of the head of a screw 6. The receptacle rests on four supports (1 of round iron, or band steel, said supports being secured t'o a horizontalring' e underneath the receptacle. The upper free end portions of the supports are thrust: through. apertures in the upper rim 1 of the receptacle, which rim is reinforced by a flange, said end portions" becoming resilient to a certain extent by suitably adapting the thickness oi? the materialoithez supports. An increased stability of the supports may be obtained by means of a ring g keeping thesupports together at the bottom, and the plates hvsecured to" the flange of the receptacle and folded down on both sides of the supports counteract any tendency toward a twisting movement on the receptacle.

A lock-nut-i having a hand wheel 9' is provided at the bottom with a flange k'bearing from below against a: clamping washer Z, and is threaded on the inside thereof, so as to permit of being screwed up on the screw b to lock the tree. As will be observed from the drawing the washer Z is dished to spherical form about a center on the axis of the receptacle located approximately at the upper end of the receptacle at the plane of the connection between the receptacle and the supports 11.

drawing.

with its lock-nut, hand wheel and clamping.

washer is swingable at the bottom in all directions toward the inner edge of the ringue. After the tree ha been straightened by a manipulation of the handwheel', the friction between the clamping washer-'1 and the ring e' atthe-bottom and between the flange f of the receptacle and the supports d at the top is entirely sufiicientto keep the tree in the given position;

The supports, three or more in number; may Ice-provided at the upper endsthereof'withspecial gripping members m for the trunk. They may also be shorter or pivotally' arranged and made dependent on some other spring system. Furthermore, the support may converge above the receptacle, the same being then: guided by fixed or movable" holders.

Locking may also be eiie'cted by means of an eccentric, a lever, by rollers, or pawls, or by meansof a chain or a-spri-nge Thereceptacle may be provided. internally at the bottom with a holder for the trunk;v The resepta-ole may also be carried by" members other than. said supports; loch-nut? i amtthe hand-wheel- ;i' may-'-be placed underneath In certaincase's; the ring 9' clam-ping" washer I. may Ice-omitted. Otherwise, materials compris i-ngpipes or net bar iron or steel may be used for the Christmas tree holder, which lattermay also be made collapsible or adapted tobe taken to be pieces to facilitate packing and transport; Ob-

viously, the Gl-i-ri'stmas treeholder may also be used for' other purposes where si milar conditions mani-i est themselves:

minating outwardly of the vertical center line thereof, a receptacle having apertures in the side walls adjacent the upper end thereof slidably receiving the inner extremities of said arms, a member depending from the bottom of said receptacle and extending through an opening in said base, said opening being substantially larger than said member, and clamping means carried by said member for engagement with the lower surface of said base whereby upon movement of said receptacle and arms downwardly under the weight of an object disposed therein said inner extremities will move inwardly into engagement with said object, said member being movable laterally in any direction in said opening to adjust the vertical alignment of said object and whereby upon movement of said clamping means into engagement with said base said object will be clamped in adjusted position.

2. A support for an elongated object comprising a base, yieldably mounted arms extending upwardly and inwardly from said base and terminating outwardly of the vertical center line thereof, a receptacle having apertures in the side walls adjacent the upper end thereof slidably receiving the inner extremities of said arms, a member depending from the bottom of said receptacle and extending through an opening in said base, said opening being substantially larger than said member, and clamping mean including a dished element carried by said member having a concave upper surface for engagement with the lower surface of said base, said member being swingable laterally in any direction in said opening about the upper end portion of said receptacle as a center to adjust the vertical alignment of said object, whereby upon movement of said receptacle and arms downwardly under the weight of an object disposed in said receptacle, said inner extremities will move inwardly into engagement with said object and upon movement of said clamping means to bring said dished element into engagement with said base, said receptacle will be clamped in laterally adjusted position by force exerted axially of the receptacle regardless of the lateral position of the clamping means relative to said base.

3. A support for an elongated object comprising a base, yieldable arms extending upwardly and inwardly from said base and terminating outwardly of the vertical center line thereof, a flared receptacle having apertures in the side walls adjacent the upper end thereof slidably receiving the inner extremities of said arms, a member depending from the bottom of said receptacle and extending through an opening in said base, said opening being substantially larger than said member, and clamping means carried by said member for engagement with the lower surface of said base whereby upon movement of said receptacle and arms downwardly under the weight of an object disposed therein said inner extremities will move inwardly into engagement with said object, said member being movable laterally in any direction in said opening to adjust the vertical alignment of said object and whereby upon movement of said clamping means into engagement with said base said object will be clamped in adjusted position.

4. A support for an elongated object comprising a base, yieldable arms extending upwardly and inwardly from said base and terminating outwardly of the vertical center line thereof, a flared receptacle having apertures in the side walls adjacent the upper end thereof slidably receiving the inner extremities of said arms, a screw threaded member depending from the bottom of said receptacle and extending through an opening in said base, said opening being substantially larger than the diameter of said member, a nut received on said member and having finger engaging means and a dished washer having a, substantially spherical concave upper surface carried by said nut for engagement with the lower surface of said base whereby upon movement of said receptacle and arms downwardly under the weight of an object disposed therein said inner extremities will move inwardly into engagement with said object, said member being swingable laterally in any direction in said opening about the upper end portion of said receptacle as a center to adjust the vertical alignment of said object and whereby upon rotation of said nut to move said washer into engagement with said base said object will be clamped in adjusted position.

5. A support for an elongated object comprising a base, yieldable arms extending upwardly and inwardly from said base and terminating outwardly of the vertical center line thereof, a cone shaped receptacle having circumferentially spaced apertures adjacent the upper end thereof slidably receiving the inner extremities of said arms, a screw threaded member depending from the bottom of said receptacle and extending through an opening in said base, said opening being substantially larger than the diameter of said member, a nut received on said member and having finger engaging means and a spherically curved washer carried by said nut having a concave upper surface for engagement with the lower surface of said base, whereby upon movement of said receptacle and arms downwardly under the weight of an object disposed therein, said inner extremities will mov inwardly into engagement with said object, said member being swingable laterally in any direction in said opening to adjust the vertical alignment of said object and whereby upon rotation of said nut to move said washer into engagement with said base said object will be clamped in adjusted position.

. KARL J OHAN HANSSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following-references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

. UNITED STATES PATENTS 

